Every time a fighter gets up and complains after a TKO, fans cry 'EARLY STOPPAGE'

[Cooliox]

I feel like too many fans judge the reaction of the fighter towards the stoppage, in factoring whether or not the stoppage was fitting. Yes, many of us are factoring 'hindsight' into the equation.

You must remember, that the referee is in there to PROTECT the fighters, and doesn't have the gift of hindsight or of making up his mind after watching few replays. We fans watch the replay 10 times, analyze how TJ was reacting, then see that he got back up and complained shortly after the stoppage... and cry that it was Early Stoppage.

Here's the fact... TJ got dropped... he took a bunch of unanswered shots... he tried to get back up again, and got dropped AGAIN with a solid punch. At this point TJ was so wobbled that he couldn't get back to his feet. He tried to hug Cejudo's leg, but this wasn't a takedown attempt... he was doing the only thing he could do other than lie down and turtle up.

I respect TJ for not turtling up and quitting, but there was no threat of a takedown from him. He had been dropped twice now in about 20 seconds... and has eaten over 20 unanswered shots.

At this point, the man that is the closest to the action, is the referee. He HAS to make a judgement call. He doesn't have the luxury of weighing in how TJ is going to react to the stoppage, how the stoppage might look on replay. He's the closest to the action, and he has now seen TJ get dropped twice by punches, and then eaten a couple dozen of unanswered punches to the dome.

At this point, the ref STOPS the action, and in turn STOPS Cejudo from applying any more pressure or doing any more damage to TJ who was badly hurt at that point.

Okay, NOW that Cejudo has been pulled off TJ... TJ decides to get up against the cage and complain. Just before that he looked totally out of it and no longer had his hands up when the ref broke the fight. TJ was out of it at that point. Sure, it is now EASY to get up and complain because the other world champion is no longer bashing you in the skull, and not dropping you for the 3rd time while you are trying to get up.

First Knockdown:

Second Knockdown:

2 Knockdowns and 20 unanswered shots in 20 seconds... that's a justified stoppage in any books. Dos Anjos lost his belt to Alvarez without being knocked down even once, and didn't complain. He knew he had eaten too many unanswered shots cleanly to the head. TJ should be thanking the ref for saving him from an inevitable concussion here.

 

[Final Say]

i said bad stoppage the second the ref stopped it

 

[Luke Rockhold's Chin]

the worst thing about all this is how little credid Cejudo is getting

 

[Cooliox]

i said bad stoppage the second the ref stopped it

If TJ took 5 or 10 more shots and went LIMP, fans would be outraged and calling it a late stoppage

 

[Paulsp]

Live it was a fair stoppage

Sure when you watch a slowed down gif 50 times you can more accurately determine whether it was fair or not

 

[Pain4Pain]

If TJ took 5 or 10 more shots and went LIMP, fans would be outraged and calling it a late stoppage

I agree, generally younger fighters have good recovery and can stand up a second after getting knocked down, even if they don't have a granite chin.

Ex: Frankie in his prime could get knocked down but never lose consciousness, and we saw against Ortega he was KO'd cold. Same with Wanderlei, he could get dropped repeatedly in a fight and still win, but later in his career he would get KO'd cold.

The most similar recent fight was Romero v Whittaker 2, where the champ sustained unnecessary damage but still won the fight, possibly due to the dispute of being beat without the title on the line.

 

[Bboy]

People easily offended and butthurt by stuff? No way, not in 2019.

 

[FlyingDeathKick]

Had nothing to do with him getting up, was more about him still being in it and going for the single leg. He was hurt but not out of it.

 

[TheRassler]

you do realize those gif's only prove why it was an early stoppage right?

TJ was never out. Ref needs to be suspended/fired.

 

[Final Say]

If TJ took 5 or 10 more shots and went LIMP, fans would be outraged and calling it a late stoppage

Not I

but it is what it is

 

[One MMA Fan]

I wish he let it go a few extra seconds so we don't have this bs discussions and people screaming early stop.

This is the fan base, this is TJ the sore loser, this is Dana so let that guy ruin his chin with the weight cut and the 20 unanswered shots cause this is what he deserves a loud ass cry baby that can't coup with a L.

The heck is wrong with people he was flip flopping like a fish, that 125 pounder wouldn't have gassed out on him and he sure as hell wouldn't got single legged cause he is an Olympic Champ on top of a rocked guy.

"be a warrior" TJ we needed Mario Yamasaki on this one.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

For what it's worth, I thought the Gillespie/Medeiros stoppage was 1000x worse than this one

 

[Mixedfights]

TJ loved the stop over Cody. Now he's pissed Henry TJ'd TJ.

You just got smoked by a dude that fights 10lbs lower than you.



Nobody fights down as champ. He did and got trashed.

 

[Sherdognut]

He was not out and still in mid scramble, you stop a fight when fighters show no sign of recovery if the ref let it go a few seconds longer no one would be complaining.

 

[YOLOGOGOPLATA]

Early stoppage or not, Henry beat TJ's ass like he stole something. TJ got rocked and dropped twice, and was in SERIOUS trouble. I thought the stoppage was totally fair, given the circumstances. Man, Henry Cejudo is an impressive combat sports athlete. His list of accomplishments are just epic, and beating MM/TJ back to back is up there with the most impressive back to back wins ever, IMO.

 

[sdpdude9]

Most people who claim it was early keep saying “he wasn’t out” as if you have to be completely out for it to be stopped. He was clearly on queer street and at the time of the stoppage was sitting on his ass and getting beat up. Only after the stoppage did he half ass reach an arm towards Cejudo in what people claim is a single leg attempt. People like to point to comebacks, but those are the outliers, usually the guy would just continue to get his head caved in.

The referee made the right call, you’re seeing a guy flop around taking multiple shots he’s not even attempted to defend and getting knocked down multiple times. Half assedly reaching an arm towards you opponent is not intelligent defence. Not to mention he only does this “single attempt” after the fight is stopped and Henry is already walking away. Then TJ does the stanky leg as soon as he gets up. Clear cut stoppage, don’t see how this even being debated.

 

[One MMA Fan]

For what it's worth, I thought the Gillespie/Medeiros stoppage was 1000x worse than this one

Nope we was looking for a way out he was giving the choke but the other dude just kept pounding away at least the ref knew whats up.

I guarantee he was so done it wasn't even funny the cardio and pace to fend of a wrestler of that level for 2 rounds was in full effect.

 

[WhiteMousse]

TJ was obviously getting the worst of it but he wasn't out. I was surprised and disappointed when the fight was stopped. That was before any replays, interviews or sherdog contributions.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Nope we was looking for a way out he was giving the choke but the other dude just kept pounding away at least the ref knew whats up.

I guarantee he was so done it wasn't even funny the cardio and pace to fend of a wrestler of that level for 2 rounds was in full effect.

Wasn't enough of a beating to warrant stopping the fight with 1 second left in the round

 

[One MMA Fan]

Wasn't enough of a beating to warrant stopping the fight with 1 second left in the round

My man watch the replay and see the guy's face that is a man that called it and wants out, it's right there so clear I recognized before it even stopped.